# US 10,873,194 B2 · Docking station for autonomous mobile robots

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- Number: US 10,873,194 B2
- Document ID: US10873194B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/032,761
- Filed: 2018-07-11
- Published: 2020-01-16
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-07-11
- Assignees: iRobot Corporation
- Applicants: iRobot Corporation
- Inventors: Peter Lydon; Insun Hong; Andrew String; Jeffrey Curtis; Travis Pierce
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10873194B2

## CPC

- H02J 7/70: characterised by the mechanical construction
- H02J 7/731: {specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence)}
- A01D 34/008: {for automated or remotely controlled operation}
- B60L 53/16: Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
- B60L 53/36: by positioning the vehicle
- G05D 1/00: Control of position, course, altitude or attitude of land, water, air or space vehicles, e.g. using automatic pilots (drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00)
- G05D 1/0225: {involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay (parking aids B62D15/027)}
- G05D 1/028: {using a RF signal}
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A docking station for a robotic lawnmower includes a base, an electrical connector above the base and positioned along a longitudinal axis of the docking station, and a central guide member positioned on the base and along the longitudinal axis. The central guide member includes a right lateral surface extending away from the longitudinal axis and toward the electrical connector from a first end portion proximate the longitudinal axis to a second end portion, and a left lateral surface extending away from the longitudinal axis and toward the electrical connector from a first end portion proximate the longitudinal axis to a second end portion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A docking station for a robotic lawnmower, the docking station comprising:
a base;
an electrical connector above the base, the electrical connector positioned along a longitudinal axis of the docking station;
a central guide member positioned on the base and along the longitudinal axis, the central guide member comprising:
a right lateral surface extending away from the longitudinal axis and toward the electrical connector from a first end portion proximate the longitudinal axis to a second end portion, and
a left lateral surface extending away from the longitudinal axis and toward the electrical connector from a first end portion proximate the longitudinal axis to a second end portion,
wherein a maximum width of the central guide member is between 90% and 100% of a minimum width between wheels of the robotic lawnmower;
a right lateral guide member positioned on the base and adjacent to a right edge of the base, the right lateral guide member and the central guide member at least partially defining a right channel positioned between the right lateral guide member and the central guide member and extending along the base; and
a left lateral guide member positioned on the base and adjacent to a left edge of the base, the left lateral guide member and the central guide member at least partially defining a left channel positioned between the left lateral guide member and the central guide member and extending along the base, wherein the central guide member is positioned between the right lateral guide member and the left lateral guide member.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The docking station of claim 1, wherein an angle between the right lateral surface and the longitudinal axis is between 15 and 45 degrees.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The docking station of claim 1, wherein the central guide member comprises a rearward surface extending from proximate the second end portion of the right lateral surface to proximate the second end portion of the left lateral surface, the rearward surface defining a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The docking station of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of elongate support members extending downwardly from the base, a first of the plurality of elongate support members being positioned along a front-right portion of the base, a second of the plurality of elongate support members being positioned along a front-left portion of the base, a third of the plurality of elongate support members being positioned along a rear-right portion of the base, and a fourth of the plurality of elongate support members being positioned along a rear-left portion of the base.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The docking station of claim 4, wherein a perimeter of the base is substantially rectangular, and the first, second, third, and fourth of the plurality of elongate support members are positioned proximate first, second, third, and fourth corners of the perimeter of the base, respectively.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The docking station of claim 1, wherein the central guide member is substantially symmetric about the longitudinal axis.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The docking station of claim 1, wherein the right lateral guide member and the left lateral guide member are symmetric to one another about the longitudinal axis.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The docking station of claim 1, further comprising a backstop extending vertically from the base, wherein the electrical connector is positioned along a front facing surface of the backstop.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The docking station of claim 8, further comprising a beacon for emitting a radiofrequency signal, the beacon being positioned on top of the backstop.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The docking station of claim 8, wherein the front facing surface of the backstop extends along a plane perpendicular to a plane along which a top surface of the base extends.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The docking station of claim 1, wherein:
the right lateral guide member comprises a front curved surface extending laterally toward the longitudinal axis away from the right edge of the base; and
the left lateral guide member comprises a front curved surface extending laterally toward the longitudinal axis away from the left edge of the base.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The docking station of claim 11, wherein:
the right lateral guide member comprises a lateral planar surface extending rearward from the front curved surface of the right lateral guide member toward the electrical connector; and
the left lateral guide member comprises a lateral planar surface extending rearward from the front curved surface of the left lateral guide member toward the electrical connector.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The docking station of claim 11, wherein the front curved surface of the right lateral guide member and the front curved surface of the left lateral guide member extend vertically from the base.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The docking station of claim 1, wherein:
the right lateral guide member comprises a rearward facing planar surface extending laterally from proximate the right edge of the base toward the longitudinal axis; and
the left lateral guide member comprises a rearward facing planar surface extending laterally from proximate the left edge of the base toward the longitudinal axis.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The docking station of claim 14, wherein a backstop of the docking station and the rearward facing surface of the right lateral guide member at least partially define a rearward right channel extending from a central collection well to the right edge of the base, and the backstop and the rearward facing surface of the left lateral guide member at least partially define a rearward left channel extending from the central collection well to the left edge of the base.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The docking station of claim 1, wherein a distance between a forwardmost portion of the central guide member and a forwardmost portion of the base is 20% to 40% of an overall length of the docking station.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The docking station of claim 1, wherein a maximum width between the right lateral surface of the central guide member and the left lateral surface of the central guide member is between 40% and 60% of an overall width of the docking station.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The docking station of claim 1, wherein an overall width of the docking station is between 100% and 125% of an overall width of the robotic lawnmower.

### Claim 19

A system comprising:
a docking station comprising an electrical connector configured to interface with an electrical connector of a robotic lawnmower, the docking station comprising a guide mechanism configured to
contact a right portion of a left wheel assembly of the robotic lawnmower to move the left wheel assembly leftward such that the electrical connector of the robotic lawnmower aligns with the electrical connector of the docking station, and
contact a left portion of a right wheel assembly of the robotic lawnmower to move the right wheel assembly rightward such that the electrical connector of the robotic lawnmower aligns with the electrical connector of the docking station.

### Claim 20

A method of docking a robotic lawnmower with a docking station, the method comprising:
navigating the robotic lawnmower about a mowable area to mow the mowable area based on detecting radiofrequency signals emitted by a plurality of beacons; and
docking the robotic lawnmower with the docking station, wherein docking the robotic lawnmower comprises:
determining a heading of the robotic lawnmower relative to the docking station based on detecting a radiofrequency signal emitted by a beacon positioned on the docking station, and
navigating the robotic lawnmower toward the docking station based on the determined heading.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein:
docking the robotic lawnmower with the docking station further comprises first navigating the robotic lawnmower toward the docking station based on detecting the radiofrequency signals emitted by the plurality of beacons, and
navigating the robotic lawnmower toward the docking station based on the determined heading comprises navigating the robotic lawnmower toward the docking station based on the determined heading after navigating the robotic lawnmower toward the docking station based on detecting the radiofrequency signals emitted by the plurality of beacons.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the robotic lawnmower comprises a plurality of transceivers, and determining the heading of the robotic lawnmower comprises determining the heading of the robotic lawnmower based on detecting the emitted radiofrequency signal using the plurality of transceivers.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein navigating the robotic lawnmower toward the docking station comprises navigating the robotic lawnmower such that, if the robotic lawnmower is misaligned with the docking station, a left portion of a right wheel assembly of the robotic lawnmower contacts a first portion of the docking station or a right portion of a left wheel assembly of the robotic lawnmower contacts a second portion of the docking station.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein a first subset of the plurality of beacons comprises the beacon, and the plurality of beacons further comprises a second subset of the plurality of beacons, the second subset of the plurality of beacons being physically remote from the docking station.

### Claim 25 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein navigating the robotic lawnmower toward the docking station comprises rotating the robotic lawnmower based on the determined heading such that a forward drive direction of the robotic lawnmower aligns with a longitudinal axis of the robotic lawnmower docking station along which an electrical connector of the docking station is positioned.

### Claim 26 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the radiofrequency signal is a first radiofrequency signal, and the beacon is a first beacon,
wherein determining the heading of the robotic lawnmower relative to the docking station based on detecting the first radiofrequency signal emitted by the first beacon positioned on the docking station comprises:
determining the heading of the robotic lawnmower relative to the docking station based on detecting the first radiofrequency signal emitted by the first beacon positioned on the docking station and a second radiofrequency signal emitted by a second beacon positioned on the docking station.

### Claim 27 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein docking the robotic lawnmower comprises determining a distance between the robotic lawnmower and the beacon, and
wherein navigating the robotic lawnmower toward the docking station based on the determined heading comprises navigating the robotic lawnmower toward the docking station based on the determined heading and the determined distance.

### Claim 28 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the beacon is positioned above a base of the docking station configured to support at least a portion of the robotic lawnmower above the lawn.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the beacon is positioned on top of a backstop of the docking station.

### Claim 30 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein:
configurations of the guide mechanism to contact the right portion of the left wheel assembly comprise configurations to contact the left wheel assembly such that the left wheel assembly rotates about a first substantially vertical axis to align with a first channel along a base of the docking station, and
configurations of the guide mechanism to contact the left portion of the right wheel assembly comprise configurations to contact the right wheel assembly such that the right wheel assembly rotates about a second substantially vertical axis to align with a second channel along the base of the docking station.

### Claim 31 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein:
the electrical connector of the docking station is positioned along a longitudinal axis of the docking station,
the guide mechanism comprises a guide member comprising a first surface configured to contact the right portion of the left wheel assembly and a second surface configured to contact the left portion of the right wheel assembly, and
the first surface and the second surface are nonparallel to one another and nonparallel to the longitudinal axis of the docking station.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The system of claim 31, wherein an angle between the first surface and the longitudinal axis of the docking station is between 15 and 45 degrees.

### Claim 33 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the guide mechanism comprises a guide member comprising a substantially triangular prismatic portion configured to contact the right portion of the left wheel assembly and configured to contact the left portion of the right wheel assembly.

### Claim 34 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein a height of the guide mechanism relative to a base of the docking station is at least 2 centimeters.